The Star Trap

by Robert Colby

She put her head on my shoulder. Her hand slid off my thigh and into my lap, paused. She kissed my ear, lingered there. ''And what are you afraid of?'' she whispered.''Afraid you’ll stop,'' I said against the moist spread of her lips.''I couldn’t,'' she answered, falling back on the divan, taking me with her. ''Not for a long, long time,'' she said beside me. She took my hand and guided it beneath her sweater to the warmth of bare breast. ''Feel my heart,'' she said. ''I’m a fast train on a down track to nowhere. And my heart says 'Couldn’t stop-wouldn’t stop-couldn’t if I would-wouldn’t if I could . . .

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

American novelist and crime thriller paperback genre and short story writer. Colby wrote novels for a number of the paperback houses including Gold Medal, which published his most praised novel, The Captain Must Die. He was also a prolific contributor of short stories to Alfred Hitchcock and Mike Shayne's mystery magazines. Many of these have gathered into two published collections of his stories. Colby also wrote a non-fiction true crime book, The California Crime Book, and co-authored a 'Nick Carter' book, The Death's Head Conspiracy, with Gary Brandner. Author Ed Gorman believed "Robert Colby was one of the best of the paperback original writers".

Reviews

[Jure · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit hectic, but not bad at all. It starts as a classic mystery of murder & blackmail in which the hero gets used and framed by the femme-fatale but then gradually changes into a really good thriller.

Nothing really inventive or original but it does have a little twist at the end that I liked. Besides, it was also nice to read a Hollywood story in which the protagonists are not super-rich and famous but instead, they are B-movie actresses turned starlets and shady Las Vegas gangsters turned "producers".

Good stuff, gritty and hard-boiled.

More here (review includes spoilers!):
https://a60books.blogspot.com/2021/03...

[Chris Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Colby's best but,
Still fun and well worth reading,
if you like the genre.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love cheesy pulp, but this was just stupid.

[Jnagle4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic pulp fiction. Booze, broads and a Hollywood backdrop. This is a pure popcorn novel, and there is nothing wrong with that.